All Saints School Community for Optional Masks: Masks Should be a Parent Choice, not a School Choice

Members of the All Saints School Community request for All Saints School to implement a "mask optional" policy for the 2021-2022 school year.  The choice to mask children is a personal medical decision that should be made by parents, not school administrators. This optional masking allows those who wish to mask their children the freedom to do so and permits those that desire for their children to attend without masks to do the same.  We do not wish to develop a “no mask” policy and support parents who choose to mask their children for any reason.  We are asking All Saints School to embrace their primary role of educating students and providing parents with data driven suggestions and best practices to keep kids safe while at school.

With the availability of Covid-19 vaccines to all teachers and staff, children 12 and over and the proven low transmission rate from children, a "mask optional" policy is safe. All Saints has not provided any data on the efficacy of masks in a school setting and there are currently no mask mandates in place that All Saints must follow.  Therefore, it should be up to parents to make educated, medical decisions for their children. 

Additionally, as a Catholic school, we believe each student is a unique child of God and a one size fits all medical mandate can be harmful to children.  The individual needs and struggles of a student are not considered in a school wide decision.  Long-term mask wearing can have negative physical, educational, and psychological consequences on some children.  Parents are best suited to decide what is in his or her own child’s best interest physically and emotionally.  

As stated on the All Saints website, “The students of All Saints are constantly challenged to excel academically, live virtuously, and treat one another with Christian charity.”  The goal of optional masking is for parents to make medical decisions that put their children in the best possible position to live out this mission. 

Missy Gruber    Contact the author of the petition